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Empowering Women for Trade Through Digital Technology

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A report by PriceWaterCoopers has said that women account for 41 per cent ownership of micro-businesses in Nigeria, with 23 million female entrepreneurs operating in the segment.

The United Nations Informal Sector Development and the Bank of Industry statistics stated that women constitute a higher number of Nigeria’s informal workforce found in agriculture, food and beverages, retail, textiles and cross-border trade.

World Bank’s Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships, Mari Pangestu, not long ago disclosed that trade has been an engine of poverty reduction over the past 30 years and that trade can expand women’s role in the economy, as well as reduce gender gap if women are given more opportunities.

Globally, technological advancement is lifting many more women out of poverty, helping them climb up the career ladder and assume leadership roles across different spheres through acquisition of flexible career skills as well as achieving a work-life balance.

In Nigeria, for instance, B2B e-commerce platforms are emerging as a strong force for bolstering the growth of the Nigerian informal retail segment.

In response to the rising global advocacy for equal opportunity for women in the tech space, Alerzo, a business-to-business e-commerce platform has been promoting technology as a potent tool for gender parity by building technology products that alleviate the burden of informal retailers, majority of whom are women.

By expanding access to an array of tech solutions, the B2B e-commerce platform and others are enabling women operating in the largely female-dominated Nigeria’s $100 billion informal retail segment side-step limiting barriers that previously inhibited their capacity, growth and sustainability.

The significance of women was further amplified at the recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) Public Forum 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland, with submission that adoption of digital technology for trade was a factor for achieving economic integration and sustainable development on the continent.

The forum in particular harped on the peculiar challenges that African women encounter in relation to harnessing the potential of digital innovations, and advocated increased commitment to advancing the cause of women in the tech space.

For instance, President of Borderless Trade Network (BTN), Dr. Olori Boye-Ajayi, while stating that her organisation collaborates with various agencies to support women and make trading and businesses easier for them by leveraging technology, emphasised the need to create fair opportunities for women in trade, especially in accessing digital tools.

Some of the challenges retail and micro businesses in Nigeria face generally include access to the market to source their wares as they have to travel and transport purchased goods from distant market or wholesale depots.

Many of them move around with huge cash making them susceptible to robbery attacks and other associated dangers of road travel.

Also, lack of access to funds to expand their business, absence of book-keeping and financial advice, inadequate transport and other infrastructure to support business sustainability are part of the challenges they go through. In addition to high operating costs, small retail businesses also struggle to cope with difficult social and economic terrain.

The many ways Alerzo enables Nigerian retailer include: the Alerzoshop app which allows retailers to conveniently order for goods and make payment via Alerzopay.

For retailers who are not tech-savvy, there is an option to order via a USSD code or WhatsApp. The delivery of the goods is done at no cost to the retailers.

By investing in over 400 vehicles and 20 warehouses over the last three years, Alerzo has provided warehousing and fulfilment solutions to suppliers, and delivered ordered goods at zero cost to thousands of retailers in difficult-to-reach locations across Nigeria.

‘‘For the past two years, we have delivered to informal retailers at no cost. With our delivery services, retailers save time, energy, and resources that they would have otherwise expended in restocking.

“These benefits have resulted in our retailers reducing their two to four times a week restock trips to zero,” Alerzo Group Chief Executive Officer, Adewale Opaleye, enthused.

“On our Alerzoshop retail app, we have a vast assortment available to our customers to choose from, and we offer free delivery in all the 13 states we’re currently operational. We have changed the landscape for them (retailers) through on-time delivery.’’

 

In an ecosystem susceptible to adulterated and substandard consumer goods, Alerzo tech solutions also assist both informal retailers and consumers in accessing authentic goods at the right price.

 


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E-Business

Kaspersky Warns of a New Phishing Technique Leveraging Bubble, a no-code AI Platform

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Kaspersky has discovered a new phishing tactic used to evade traditional security controls that exploits Bubble, a platform that allows users to build web and mobile applications through a visual interface without writing code.

Attackers are increasingly adopting innovative tools designed for legitimate software development and repurposing them to boost phishing campaigns.

Traditional phishing attacks often rely on malicious links or obvious redirection techniques, which are typically flagged and blocked by modern security systems.

However, attackers are now leveraging Bubble’s no-code environment to generate intermediary web applications which are hosted on Bubble’s legitimate infrastructure and trusted domains such as *.bubble.io, which improves their credibility and helps them bypass security filters.

These applications function as disguised redirectors, silently forwarding victims to malicious credential-harvesting websites.

In the observed campaign, victims were ultimately redirected to a convincing imitation of a Microsoft login page, protected by a Cloudflare verification layer designed to further obscure malicious intent.

This technique is likely being integrated into broader phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) platforms and phishing kits. These kits enable a wide range of malicious capabilities with ready-made tools, including real-time interception of session cookies, driving phishing campaigns through legitimate services such as Google Tasks and Google Forms, and carry out adversary-in-the-middle (AiTM) attacks that can bypass multi-factor authentication.

They also support the generation of phishing emails using AI, implement geo-filtering and anti-detection mechanisms to evade security crawlers and are often hosted on reputable cloud services like AWS to avoid blacklisting.

“The use of legitimate platforms like Bubble introduces a new level of trust abuse, making it harder for both users and automated systems to distinguish between safe and malicious content. This significantly increases the likelihood of credential theft, unauthorised access and potential data breaches,” comments Roman Dedenok, Anti-Spam Expert at Kaspersky.

 

 


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NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

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Nigeria has taken a major step toward strengthening its digital governance framework as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) officially assumes control of the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) infrastructure.

NITDA Takes Over National Digital Architecture System

The handover ceremony held in Abuja, marks the culmination of a high-level partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

This transition signals a shift from fragmented IT projects to a unified, disciplined approach to national digital investment.

The NGEA initiative forms a core part of the e-Government Masterplan 2.0 (Ne-GMP 2.0), aimed at establishing a unified and structured approach to managing government IT investments and digital resources.

The framework is designed to ensure that technology deployment across public institutions aligns with national priorities while improving efficiency and accountability.

With the system now operational, government agencies are expected to adopt more integrated digital processes, allowing seamless data sharing and interoperability.

This is anticipated to reduce duplication, strengthen risk management, and translate policy objectives into measurable digital outcomes.

Over the past two and a half years, Nigerian technical experts worked closely with their Korean counterparts to develop the architecture framework, create reference models, and execute pilot programmes in key institutions.

These include the National Identity Management Commission, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and NITDA.

Officials say the NGEA represents a shift from fragmented digital efforts to a more coordinated, citizen-focused system.

The infrastructure is hosted by Galaxy Backbone Limited, providing a secure and reliable platform for nationwide deployment.

Looking ahead, NITDA is expected to work with government stakeholders to expand and sustain the system, while the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy will provide policy guidance to ensure its adoption across the country.

 

 


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FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion  – Minister

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Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has said the government is shifting focus from expanding access to ensuring “meaningful connectivity” that drives economic growth and inclusion.

FG Shifting Focus to “Meaningful Connectivity” to Drive Inclusion  - Minister

Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy

The minister made the statement on Friday while addressing stakeholders at the inauguration of board members of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Abuja.

He said that although Nigeria had made significant progress since the introduction of GSM services, millions of people, particularly in rural and underserved communities, remain either unconnected or unable to fully benefit from digital services.

Dr Tijani highlighted ongoing investments in digital infrastructure, including plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic network and nearly 4,000 telecom towers nationwide.

He said initiatives under the USPF had improved access through projects such as rural connectivity and digital facilities in schools but stressed that the next phase must prioritise effective usage.

“It is not enough to connect a community. We must ensure that schools can teach with digital tools and that small businesses can access market opportunities,” he said, citing a pilot project in the Kura community where connectivity has enhanced access to communication, education and healthcare.

Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also called for a shift towards meaningful connectivity, noting that while data usage had grown significantly, it remained concentrated in urban areas.

According to him, recent data shows that telecom usage has increased by about 160% over the past two years, largely driven by urban demand.

“When we drill down, we see that a lot of that growth is actually in urban centres. So, the gap between those who are not connected or not meaningfully connected is growing,” he said.

Dr Maida added that the trend underscored the need for the USPF board to intensify efforts to bridge both access and usage gaps across the country.

Both officials emphasised the importance of collaboration, sustainable investment models and improved digital literacy to ensure that connectivity translates into real economic benefits for Nigerians.

 

 


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